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House passes bailout bill; bike commuter tax benefit becomes law

Blumenauer at the unveiling of his Gas Price Relief Act, one of manypieces of legislation that included a bike commuter tax break over the years.(Photo: J. Maus) What a long, strange trip it’s been for Congressman Earl Blumenauer and his Bike Commuter Act. The House Democrat is a former City Commissioner of Transportation in Portland … Read more


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UPDATED: Senate sweetens bailout bill with Bike Commuter Act

[See below for updates: Hint, Blumenauer is saying he won’t support the bailout package.] “The (bailout) bill now includes a… tax benefit for bicycle commuting sought by Rep. Earl Blumenauer, an Oregon Democrat, also a “no” vote on Monday.”— from an article in the Baltimore Sun Hoping to garner votes from House members who previously … Read more


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Blumenauer unveils his ‘Gas Price Relief Act of 2008’

Rep. Blumenauer at this morning’s press conference.Video below(Photos © J. Maus) Ending speculation since the announcement on Friday, U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer was in Portland this morning (sans bowtie) to deliver some “straight talk” about energy policy and unveil a bill that will help cure America’s ailing transportation policies. Expensive oil and gas prices, he … Read more


National Bike Bill passes U.S. House vote

Bike legislation is moving forward in D.C.(Photo © J. Maus) House Congressional Resolution 305, also known as the National Bike Bill, has passed through a vote by the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this week. The resolution — which was introduced by Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) back in February — recognizes the importance of bicycling … Read more


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Bikes, politics, and Blumenauer as Transportation Secretary?

An animated Earl Blumenauer speaking at the Oregon Bike Summit a few months ago.(All photos © J. Maus) As the nation’s political winds shift from right to left, the future of the transportation issue in America begins to look very different. Remember last summer, when U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters referred to “bike paths” as … Read more


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Bike Commuter Act, “Hummer tax loophole” up for House vote tomorrow

Blumenauer, shown here at the National Bike Summit last year, hopes his Bike Commuter Act will finally fly with lawmakers.(Photo © J. Maus) On the heels of record profits by the big five oil companies, U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Portland) will once again try to enact a tax benefit for bike commuters and close the … Read more


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Bike commuter benefit does not survive Senate vote on Energy Bill

Congressman Earl Blumenauer introducing the Bike Commuter Act on Capitol Hill last March.(Photo © Jonathan Maus) The bike commuter tax benefit — which was introduced to Congress by Earl Blumenauer last March and passed a House vote last week — has been stripped out of the Energy Bill by the Senate. The U.S. Senate passed … Read more


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Blumenauer asks for help with Bike Commuter Act

(Note: The title of this post was originally, “Benefits fraud may stymie progress on Bike Commuter Act.” I changed it to better reflect the situation.). I just got an email from Congressman Earl Blumenauer’s legislative assistant Katie Drennan. She said that although there is considerable momentum for the Bike Commuter Act (42 co-sponsors so far), … Read more